Research tells us that Dementia Friendly Communities help people impacted by dementia and their caregivers feel included, safe and supported in the places where they work, live and socialize. Through community outreach initiatives, groups, businesses and individuals are educated about dementia and know that a person with dementia may sometimes experience the world differently.
This guide is the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year pilot project in Alberta led by The Brenda Strafford Foundation.
Working in partnership with local members of the pilot communities, education and training opportunities have been offered to help first responders, local businesses, and organizations better understand, recognize and respond to signs of dementia to better support the needs of those they serve. Schools are exploring ways to educate students throughout the curriculum and create intergenerational opportunities to engage with seniors in the community. Faith centres, community associations, and many other non-profit and public service organizations are ensuring supports and resources are mobilized and accessible in the community.
The Brenda Strafford Foundation have documented our journey, and lessons learned along the way, to create this guide as a locally sensitive, evidence-based approach for the development of Dementia Friendly Communities throughout the province. The resource provides localized information and best practices that individuals, businesses and civil society organizations can use to ensure their communities are dementia friendly.
The Brenda Strafford Foundation is leading the Dementia Friendly Communities demonstration project – the first in Alberta – in two pilot locations:
These communities were chosen due to the proximity to two of BSF’s continuing care facilities, Wentworth Manor and Tudor Manor, to leverage our existing expertise and networks in these communities. In addition to proximity to our established seniors care facilities, these two communities were chosen as they are also very different from each other – one is urban, while the other is semi-rural. Therefore, it is expected there will be commonalities but also some differences between these two communities during the project.
The initial project will run for a period of two and a half years, with a long range goal to become sustainable and grow city and province-wide.
Visit The Brenda Strafford Foundation's online News Archive and Events Calendar to find out more about our Dementia Friendly Communities news and events taking place in the community.
To mobilize the community to recognize the needs of those affected by dementia, and to build and improve supports for a Dementia Friendly Community, to ultimately improve the lives of individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.
The Brenda Strafford Foundation has partnered with local community members and organizations to form Dementia Friendly Community collaborative groups in the Calgary Westhills and Okotoks communities. These collaborative groups are composed of diverse community stakeholders to ensure the local approach is community sensitive, and they are driving the initiative forward at the community level.
Co-Chairs:
Administrator, Wentworth Manor
Bryan Gilks, Caregiver
Alliance and Sub-Committee Working Group Representation from:
Caregivers
Alberta Health Services
Alberta’s Mobile Footcare Service
Alzheimer Society of Calgary
ATB Financial
Calgary Dementia Network
Calgary Fire Department
Calgary Police Department
Calgary Seniors Resource Society
Calgary West Central, Primary Care Network
Carya
City of Calgary
Clinical Pharmacist, Foothills Medical Centre
First Lutheran Church
Home Instead
Meals on Wheels
SCA Community Association
Stantec
The Kerby Centre
University of Calgary
Wentworth Manor Adult Day Program
Co-Chairs:
Brenda Carroll, Administrator, Tudor Manor
Janette Messer, The Town of Okotoks
Coalition and Sub-Committee Working Group Representation from:
Caregivers
Alberta Health Services
Adult Day Support Program
Alzheimer Society of Calgary
Calgary Rural Primary Care Network
Catholic Schools and Public Schools
Geriatric Social Work
Healthy Okotoks Coalition
Meals on Wheels
Okotoks Chamber of Commerce
Okotoks EMS
Okotoks Fire Services
Stantec
Town of Okotoks and Mayor of Okotoks
Contact us if you would like to learn more or become involved with this project:
Dementia Friendly Communities Project Manager
Manager, Research & Innovative Practice
Navjot Virk
Email: navjot.virk@theBSF.ca
Dementia Friendly Communities Coordinator,
Calgary Westhills
Emma Richardson
Email: emma.richardson@theBSF.ca
Dementia Friendly Communities Coordinator,
Okotoks
Jennifer Mallamo
Email: jennifer.mallamo@theBSF.ca
In addition to core funding provided by The Brenda Strafford Foundation, funding for this project is supported by: